AvP2: Primal Hunt is the expansion pack to the highly successful Aliens vs Predator 2, which was released around a year ago by Sierra.
Unlike many other expansion packs, the storyline for AvP2: Primal Hunt does not carry on from the original game, but follows a different set of events taking place at around the same time period, as well as 500 years before.
About 500 years before the current time setting of AvP2 (around the year 2230), a predator on a routine hunt finds a powerful artifact with the ability to control the Aliens. The predator then becomes trapped in a stasis field, until now, 500 years later when a human corporate mercenary unwittingly frees him and sets off with the artifact.
Now the mercenary must escape to safety, while the aliens seek to destroy the artifact to preserve the hive.

The gameplay of AvP2: Primal Hunt is virtually identical to the original AvP2, with the game running on the same graphics engine. The interface, controls and features have all remained unchanged, as well as the lengthy load times for slower machines :) The AI is once again very well done, in the way that both friendly and enemy units will reach based on your movements.
Primal Hunt has 9 single player missions (3 per race) - around 1/3 the length of the original. One good point however, is that the expansion pack will throw you straight into intense and deadly firefights with the enemy. For example; in the human campaign, you will have access to the entire weapon arsenal after about 15 minutes into the game. In the original, some weapons only become available at the very end of the campaign, for instance you pick up the sniper rifle about 2 minutes completing the human mission for AvP2. With Primal Hunt, you will be fully immersed into the gameplay early on in the game, which helps to make up for the short gameplay time.

The way the storyline runs for each race is surprisingly similar to AvP2. As the human, you are soon separated from your team and must find your own way to safety. The Predator is initially there for a routine hunt when things start happening, drawing the player into a deepening plot. The alien initially starts off as the facehugger and must mutate its way through its life cycle before becoming a fully-grown Predalien.

As with any expansion pack, AvP2: Primal Hunt boasts additional weapons from the original. While they are fun to use, the variety is unfortunately quite limited. The humans now have dual pistols, which basically offer twice the firepower of the single pistol with either HP or AP bullets. There is also the remote sentry gun, which serves as a portable defense system, as well as a turret gun, which is a static rapid firing minigun. The hacking tool and welding torch from AvP2 have been removed, while a 360 degree motion sensor has been introduced – a very handy improvement from AvP2 whereby the sensor could be completely quiet and all of a sudden the screen will flashing red from an attacking Alien which somehow managed to creep up from behind.

The predator campaign takes place 500 years in the past, but the only difference is a slightly different HUD, and the addition of an extra weapon – the Energy Flechette. This is a low powered rapid-fire energy weapon, which seems to have been designed more in mind for multi player as it has the ability to damage multiple enemies at once.

As for the Alien side, you will be playing as the Predalien, previously only available in multiplayer for AvP2. The only difference from the original is that the Predalien in Primal Hunt has the ability to “headbite” in order to gain health.

The graphics and sound have remained virtually unchanged from AvP2. The environments are very similar, from indoor caverns and structures to large exotic landscapes. This is one aspect that could have been improved, as there is essentially no difference in the textures for the terrain and environments from AvP2. There are however some new models such as new animal and plant life.

The sound and music effects are again superbly done, and make a great accompaniment to the suspense and atmosphere for the game. The music matches well with the settings, and will quickly race to a fast tempo with increased volume when danger lurks closeby.

Multiplayer is another aspect of the game that will run similarly to the original AvP2, with a few added options. Games can now be set to allow only specific classes to join, and specific weapons can be disallowed from a game. The new weapon arsenal, including a predator self destruct option adds a new twist to the battle arenas.

For a more detailed look into the gameplay, AI or graphics/sound I would recommend reading our previous AvP2 review, as most of these aspects are essentially the same.

For those who found AvP2 to be exciting and gripping, and are aching for more of the same action, AvP2: Primal Hunt is a must have, featuring added hours of gameplay and several new toys to play with. For those who may have bored stiff as they were completing the original campaigns, or simply disliked the game, the expansion pack will simply carry on that trend. Personally, although I really enjoyed the original, the expansion pack did not feature enough new variety to make it worthwhile to purchase. Rather than taking the opportunity to add many innovations to the game, the developers have decided to simply extend the gameplay of AvP2. It is up to the player to decide whether or not it has been the correct decision.

  Final Score: 72%
 

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